Chaminade running back Shaun Shivers runs for yardage against Jacksonville Trinity Christian in the Class 3A state football championship at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Saturday, December 10, 2016 AL DIAZadiaz@miamiherald.com

Chaminade running back Shaun Shivers runs for yardage against Jacksonville Trinity Christian in the Class 3A state football championship at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Saturday, December 10, 2016 AL DIAZadiaz@miamiherald.com

The high school football preseason kicked off Wednesday afternoon in South Florida with the Homestead Broncos taking on the Reagan Bison – the first of 43 games involving Miami-Dade or Broward teams.

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Deerfield has one of the best defenses in the country led by senior three-star cornerback Miguel Edwards (Oklahoma commitment, No. 26 in Dade/Broward) and inside linebacker Rosendo Louis (Florida State commitment, No. 27 in Dade/Broward).

▪ Friday – American Heritage vs. Booker T. Washington (Traz), 7 p.m.: Last season the Tornadoes handed the Patriots their only loss of the season in the preseason with a win on the road at Heritage.

This preseason, both teams enter nationally ranked once again. Booker T., a five-time state champion in Class 4A, is ranked 11th in the preseason by USA Today and Heritage, winners of three Class 5A state titles over the last four seasons, is ranked No. 12 by MaxPreps.

The Patriots feature five of the top 16 seniors in the Dade/Broward area led by five-star cornerbacks Patrick Surtain Jr. and Tyson Campbell, the top two recruits in the area. Four-star defensive tackle Nesta Silvera is a Miami commitment and four-star defensive end Andrew Chatfield recently decommitted from Ohio State. The Florida Gators are now considered his favorite.

Miami Carol City running back Cam'Ron Davis, a four-star recruit, talks to the Miami Herald about committing to the University of Miami and the Chief's quest to win back-to-back Class 6A state titles on Aug. 6, 2017.

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▪ Friday – Carol City at Bradenton IMG Academy, 7 p.m.: No game will feature more star power in the state this weekend than when the Chiefs, ranked 17th by MaxPreps and 20th by USA Today, take a trip up to Bradenton to face the No. 3 ranked team in the country according to MaxPreps.

IMG, which plays independently of the FHSAA playoff system, features 12 of the state’s top 50 senior recruits including the No. 1 overall prospect in five-star, Clemson-bound defensive end Xavier Thomas (6-3, 263) and four-star quarterback and University of Miami commitment Artur Sitkowski (6-5, 215).